Second annual Pulling for Honor fundraiser hopes to raise $100,000

CEDAR RAPIDS - After raising more than $38,000 at last year's first-ever Pulling for Honor fundraiser, organizers are aiming to collect $100,000 this time out.

The second-annual Pulling for Honor fundraiser is set for Saturday at the Eastern Iowa Airport. The first team starts pulling at 9 a.m.

The proceeds of the event go to the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight organization that organizes flights to send local veterans to Washington, D.C., so they can visit war memorials built to honor their service. Each flight costs around $83,000.

'We're hoping to grow it every year,” said Pam Hinman, the airport's director of marketing and communications.

Teams of 25 individuals will compete to see who can pull a FedEx 757 jet 12 feet the fastest. Each team will have two attempts.

Individuals participating must be ages 13 and older, and a parent or legal guardian must complete the registration for any team member under the age of 18.

'It's cool to see everybody pulling a plane. I got the opportunity to be on a team to pull and it's exciting,” Hinman said. 'You don't get to do that every day.”

There are 25 teams scheduled to pull Saturday, however individuals can still put together a team and register, Hinman said. Each team must make a minimum $2,500 donation in order to participate.

Other activities planned for the event include:

' The Experimental Aircraft Association chapter 33 will provide free flights to children 8 to 17 years old as part of its Young Eagles program.

' Aircraft static displays

' Special beer offering from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. of Decorah.

' A silent auction for a special Toppling Goliath package

If you go

' What: Second-annual Pulling for Honor fundraiser

' When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday

' Where: 3435 Beech Way, west of the airport's main entrance. Look for 'event parking” signs along Wright Brothers Boulevard.

' Cost: Free

' Website: flycid.com/pullingforhonor.